1) As the solar nebula contracts it 1) A) cools due to condensation. B) spins faster due to conservation of angular momentum. C) flattens out into the ecliptic plane around the Sun's poles. D) loses angular momentum. E) reverses it direction of rotation. 2) Long period comets are thought to reside mainly in the 2) A) Oort Cloud. B) Interstellar Medium. C) asteroid belt. D) Kirkwood gaps. E) Kuiper Belt. 3) Pluto is most similar to 3) A) Triton. B) Miranda. C) Mercury. D) our Moon. E) Europa. 4) The NASA orbiter that ultimately landed on the surface of the asteroid Eros was 4) A) Stardust. B) NEAR Shoemaker. C) Giotto. D) New Horizons. E) Clementine. 5) As the terrestrial protoplanets grew in size, their strengthening gravitational fields produced many high-speed collisions between planetsimals and protoplanets which led to what process? 5) A) core-accretion B) collision C) fragmentation D) differentiation E) condensation 6) In comparing our own solar system with others found to date, we find: 6) A) multiple planets are found in some systems. B) that most orbits are less circular than planets around our Sun. C) hot Jupiters, even closer to their stars than Mercury is to our Sun. D) jovians often lie much closer to their suns than ours do. E) all of the above 7) When we are lucky enough to see an extra-solar planet transit its star 7) A) we can determine its shape. B) it will cause the star to vanish for several hours. C) we can by the drop in light find the planet's size, mass, and density. D) we can be certain it is a terrestrial, not a jovian. E) we can determine what elements are in its atmosphere. 8) Meteor shower debris is believed to come from 8) - 1 -
A) the disintegration of a short period comet over many returns to the Sun. B) the core of a differentiated type M asteroid, now broken up. C) the crust of a differentiated type C asteroid, now broken up. D) deep space, far beyond the solar system, deflected by the gravity of another star. E) the asteroid belt when Mars deflects it toward us annually. 9) What might have made the original solar nebula begin to contract? 9) A) interstellar magnetism generated by pulsars B) the shock wave from a nearby exploding star C) the formation of our arm of the Milky Way D) the Big Bang E) the large amount of angular momentum in the nebula 10) Iron meteorites are believed to come from 10) A) the core of a dense M-type asteroid, now broken up. B) the crust of a differentiated type C asteroid, now broken up. C) deep space, far beyond the solar system, hence their unique crystal patterns. D) a broken up cometary nucleus, hence their shiny appearance. E) Mars, hence their reddish color. 11) Carbonaceous Chondrites are believed to come from 11) A) deep space, far beyond the solar system, hence their very low density. B) a broken up cometary nucleus, dark like Comet Halley's nucleus. C) coal formed on Mars, then blown into space by asteroid impacts. D) the crust of a differentiated C type asteroid, now broken up. E) the core of a differentiated type M asteroid, now broken up. 12) Compared to Ida, Eros, and Gaspra, what was odd about Mathilde? 12) A) It was much denser, probably made of iron and nickel, a class M asteroid. B) It was less dense than rock, but more than ice, suggesting a porous structure. C) It had a small moon, so we could more accurately find its mass. D) It was less dense than water, indicating it was a comet nucleus, rather than an asteroid. E) It was the same density as the Earth's moon, indicating it had been knocked off our moon. 13) What phase of planet formation caused the jovian planets to form? 13) A) fragmentation B) condensation C) collision D) core-accretion E) differentiation 14) The body which wiped out the dinosaurs was about 14) A) as big as our Moon. B) a few hundred meters across. C) as big as a 747. D) as big as an SUV. E) as big as one of Mars' moons. 15) The orbits of most asteroids 15) - 2 -
A) cross the orbit of Mars. B) lie beyond Neptune. C) cross the orbits of all four terrestrial planets. D) cross the orbit of Earth. E) lie entirely beyond the orbit of Mars. 16) The two names most associated with the discovery of Pluto are 16) A) Lowell and Tombaugh. B) Herschel and Bode. C) Adams and Leverrier. D) Shoemaker and Levy. E) Kuiper and Whipple. 17) In terms of composition 17) A) the jovian planets are made only of ice, and the terrestrials only of rock. B) all planets condensed from the same nebula, and have similar compositions. C) the jovian planets are more like the Sun than are the terrestrials. D) the terrestrials are more like the Sun, since they formed close to it. E) the Sun is unique, made of nothing but hydrogen and helium. 18) Which of these is not a characteristic of the solar nebula theory? 18) A) All the planets should orbit the sun counterclockwise. B) Planets should rotate counterclockwise as well. C) All the planets should follow the ecliptic plane. D) The ecliptic is the equator for the Sun. E) Larger planets should form closer to their star, where there is more debris. 19) Before it arrived in orbit about Eros, the NEAR spacecraft also flew past 19) A) Comet Wild. B) Comet Halley. C) asteroid Mathilde. D) Venus. E) Mars. 20) The first hint of the role of asteroids in extinction of the dinosaurs came from 20) A) finding the huge crater in the Yucatan. B) finding a layer of worldwide iridium enriched dust. C) finding that no volcanic eruptions were linked to their disappearance. D) finding dinosaur fossils with meteorites imbedded in them. E) finding that dinosaurs were warm-blooded and smart. 21) Pluto's density is most similar to 21) A) Mercury, but nor Venus, Earth, or Mars. B) the jovian planets. C) the terrestrial planets. D) moons of the jovian planets. E) Saturn, but not Jupiter, Uranus, or Neptune. 22) The most famous asteroid impact scar on Earth is located in 22) - 3 -
A) Florida. B) Antarctica. C) Arizona. D) northern Yucatan. E) northern Canada. 23) The type of asteroid that would be the densest would be type 23) A) Z. B) C. C) V. D) M. E) S. 24) A successful theory of the formation of the solar system must explain 24) A) all observed properties of the solar system. B) that the inner planets have more hydrogen and helium in their atmospheres than do the outer planets. C) that all planets rotate in a prograde sense. D) that all planets have elliptical orbits with high eccentricities. E) the existence of the asteroid belt between Jupiter and Neptune. 25) What factor caused different planets to form out of different types of material? 25) A) The angular momentum of the solar nebula pushed the heavy elements towards the outer regions of the nebula. B) The innate variation of chemical composition of the original nebula; the outer parts of the nebula contained a greater abundance of heavy elements. C) The angular momentum of the forming planet; faster rotating planets lost the lightest elements. D) The quantity of dust particles in the solar nebula; more dust caused some planets to contain heavier elements. E) The variation in temperature throughout the solar nebula; the higher the temperature, the lower the percentage of light elements in the forming planet. 26) In terms of composition 26) A) each planet is unique, with no similarities among them. B) the jovians are much more like the sun than the terrestrials are. C) all the planets are made of the same elements, and in the same proportions. D) the sun is unique in having far more light elements than any of the planets do. E) the terrestrials are similar to the sun, for they formed closer to it. 27) What is a distinguishing characteristic of planetesimals which was critical to planetary formation? 27) A) They were large enough so that their gravity could attract more material and grow still larger. B) They were the results of fragmentation. C) They were "sticky" enough to hold clumps of matter they encountered. D) They are the final stage in planetary formation, before the accretion of gas. E) They started as round balls, and grew from there. 28) Planetary orbits 28) A) are highly inclined to the ecliptic. B) are evenly spaced throughout the solar system. C) are almost circular, with low eccentricities. D) have the Sun at their exact center. E) are spaced more closely together as they get further from the Sun. 29) Why did a major planet not form out in the Kuiper Belt? 29) A) It was not in the ecliptic like the planets; there was no material out there. - 4 -
B) Sedna disrupted the objects closer in to the Sun. C) Comets bombarded these bodies violently, breaking them apart. D) Some may have, but they have since migrated to orbits nearer the Sun. E) One did, and its name is Pluto. 30) Pluto was discovered in 30) A) ancient times. B) 1789. C) 1859. D) 1930. E) 1992. 31) Conservation of angular momentum means that a spinning body tends to 31) A) gravitationally collapse. B) fly apart. C) wobble into an eccentric orbit. D) slow down. E) keep spinning. 32) What is true about solar system densities? 32) A) The asteroids all have about the same density. B) In differentiated bodies, the denser materials lie near their surfaces. C) Planetary density increases with increasing distance from the Sun. D) The denser planets lie closer to the Sun. E) Saturn has the same density as water. 33) What is the role of irregularities in the solar system in terms of theories of its origin? 33) A) They are too minor to play a role; astronomers ignore them. B) Theories of the solar system are entirely based on the many irregularities found among the planets and moons. C) The solar system is chaotic, with irregularities the rule. D) They introduce a need for flexibility in theories of the solar system's origin. E) The solar system has no irregularities; it is perfectly regular and orderly. 34) The meteorites that strike Earth are 34) A) the remains of the planet between Mars and Jupiter. B) pieces of comets that fall to Earth. C) mostly made of iron. D) material from outside our solar system. E) the oldest rocks known. 35) According to the Solar Nebula theory, planets 35) A) should be a common result of star formation. B) should orbit perpendicular to their star's equator. C) should be extremely rare. D) will revolve opposite the star's rotation. E) should be randomly oriented to their star's equator. 36) How did Mercury's location in the solar system affect its composition? 36) A) Mercury is more volatile than most metals, so formed closer to the hot Sun. - 5 -
B) Mercury is rich in metals because only metallic grains could survive the high temperatures so near the Sun. C) Mercury is poor in metals because metallic grains could not survive the high temperatures so near the Sun. D) The nearby Sun caused ice in Mercury's interior to melt into liquid water. E) Because Mercury is so near the Sun, its composition is similar to the Sun; mostly hydrogen and helium. 37) The Oort Cloud is thought to be 37) A) a cloud of debris that occasionally encounters the Earth, causing a meteor shower. B) the material in the ecliptic plane that creates the zodiacal light. C) the spherical cloud of comets and some larger icy bodies surrounding the outer solar system. D) a cloud of asteroids moving between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. E) the cloud of gas and dust from which our solar system formed. 38) On its way to Jupiter, Galileo also gave us close-ups of 38) A) Mars and Venus. B) Mathilde and Eros. C) Ceres and Vesta. D) Mercury and Venus. E) Gaspra and Ida. 39) Pluto's bulk density is: 39) A) 400 kg/, like Comet Halley's nucleus, a ice ball with many gas pockets. B) 1,200 kg/, like Mimas, made of almost pure ice. C) 700 kg/, like Saturn a mix of hydrogen and helium slush. D) 2,100 kg/, similar to Callisto's mix of rock and ice. E) 3,400 kg/, comparable to our Moon's. 40) The Trojan asteroids have orbits that 40) A) stay out beyond Neptune. B) cross the orbit of Earth at perihelion. C) cross the orbit of Mars, but not Earth, at perihelion. D) stay sixty degrees ahead of or behind Jupiter. E) are, on average, closer to the Sun than we are. - 6 -